Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-09-07
From the Paris Figaro.
THE SISTER OF CHARITY.
BY COMTE DE KERATRY.

SSCOTCuluS dIuOI lEOm Uu0 OdEA UlIO
sky, but a rising sea breeze refreshes
the atmosphere impregnated with fra
GRANGE waited from the orange trees
growing in terraces along the hillsides
of Upper Mustacha.
At the head of the bay, where the
waves breaking monotonously on the
sandy beach line the shore with sill
very crest of foam, are laid out the
drill grounds, towards which q swell
ing crowd in cosmopolitan array are
vending their way. Skinny horses
come galloping down the hillside, drag
ging behind them dusty carriages.
Native soldiers file by and form line
in front of the Governor Generals
tent, each tribe distinct and bearing
aloft the Prophets banner, while the
rude Arab instruments fill the air
with shrilI music. Squadrons of
spahis in red, of chasseurs In blue and
hussars in green uniforms debouch in
turn, and form a living hedge around
the race course.
The drums beat salute to hail the
advent of the Marshal at the head of
q brilliant staff. His arrival is the
signal for the "fantasia" to begin and
soon the distant ravines resound with
echoes awakened by the discharge OF
firearms.
The topmost tiers of the public
stand are thronged with the prettiest
women in the colony, in the midst of
whom are number of those mysteri-
ously yelled Moorish ladies, with
heavy silver bracelets around their
ankles. All are animated by the noise
made by the firing of guns, and beating
of tamtams, and the cultural excla-
nations OF the native horsemen rid
ing around at full speed, making the
spectator feel dizzy as his eye follows
them around the giddy curves OF their
frenzie3 course. At the foot of the
stand in tbespace set apart for mount
ed spectators are collected number
of gentlemen and officers off duty.
The fantasia has ceased for few
minutes to let the riders catch their
breath, when the groups open to
make way for g. proud Amazon, es-
corted by two distinguished looking
gentlemen, one gray haired, sporting
the rosette of the Legion of Honor,
the other younger, having on his sun
burnt features all the marks that go
to show great decision Of character.
Az they go by every head is uncovered
with respectful politeness.
Miss Genevieve S. at this time, just.
after the coup d'etat, was regarded as
the Queen Of Algiers. Actuated by a
love Of pleasure she was the leader at
every ball in the Governors palace,
and in every hunting party at Cape
Matifou she was always in the front
rank, surrounded by host of admir-
ers With complexion of milk and
roses, her hair slightly tinged with
gold and twisted into n graceful coil.
an air of pride heightened by rare
perfection OF form, her beauty was as
radiant IN riding habit as In ball attire.
She captivated at first sight, and
though g. trifie naughty toward her
equals, those beneath her always found
her more kind than.
Her father, one of the two horsemen
following her, at the time filed an
important post in the colony. He
was a Widower. His wife, lovely
American girl from New Orleans, had
bequeathed to her daughter the grace
ful manners and high spirits that
characterized the Creoles of that lati-
tude. The other, the determined
looking person, who had pressed his
horse forward 80 as to be at her
side, was her afianced husband, M.
Raoul de L., one Of the richest colon
lists OF the country, who after sowing
his wild oats in Paris, had come to
the conquered country in the guise of
g hardy pioneer to build up a fortune
on the ruins Of the one he had dissi-
pated. Success had crowned his eff.
forts, and at that time he was the
principal purveyor to, the army and
had the reputation Of being one of the
few whose integrity was above re-
proach. He had succeeded in winning
the love of Miss Genevieve. The bans
had already been published and the
marriage ceremony, set for the follow
week, was to take place in the cathe-
dral OF Algiers. 1
When the fantasia had wound up in
general fray to represent a raid up
on a smalah, two discharges from a
cannon gave the signal for the begin
ming Of the principal races. In these
the horsemen were to ride distance
OF forty kilometres, q real steeplechaee
across plains and through ravines
bristling with prickly pears and aloe
plants. The prize was to be awarded
to the rider first returning to the drill
ground track.
At this moment there was general
movement in the crowd. The greater
part hurried to the road of the Jarden
d'essai, over which the coursers were
to pass. Miss Genevieve beckoned to
her two companions to follow, and
the three set off at slow pace in or
der to avoid running over those who
were trudging along afoot. AS she
passed every eye gazed with admira-
ton upon the dashing Amazon. The
impression she made was all the more
felt by the Arabs, to whom, woman
condemned as che is in that cline to q
life OF servility, appears, as rule, an